Protests and international alarm: Georgia’s ‘foreign influence’ bill causes unrest

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Georgia to oppose the passing of a new ‘Kremlin-style’ law. The ‘foreign influence’ bill, which is modelled on laws used by Vladimir Putin to suppress dissent in Russia, would require organisations in Georgia that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as ‘pursuing the interests of a foreign power.’

Protests over the new law have been ongoing in recent months and have at times resulted in violence and unrest. The state has been accused of trying to intimidate its critics, with police often beating protesters and deploying tear gas in their attempts to disperse the crowds.

The US, EU and UN have criticised the new law and expressed concern over Georgia’s democratic backsliding. Furthermore, Georgia has been trying to gain accession to the EU and was granted candidate status in December 2023.

However, the EU has made clear that if the law is passed, it would significantly jeopardise Georgia’s progress towards joining the bloc. This has fuelled the antagonism of protesters, with many criticising the government for steering the country closer towards Russia at the expense of relations with the West.